Tell Me You Love Me
by aglitterbae
Summary: Paul was a combination of both his deepest desires and the dreams he'd never dared to hold for himself. Will couldn't wait to marry him.
1. Chapter 1

"Will, do you even want this?"

Paul threw his hands up in the air, exasperation written all over his face.

"Maybe I don't!"

Beats passed as the two remained still in their respective positions: Will curled into himself on their bed and Paul stationed in front of him.

Will was feeling defiant and petty and not particularly concerned with words he couldn't take back. Neither of them really knew how they'd reached this point, but here they were: three months away from their wedding date and seemingly on the verge of a breakup.

"Maybe you don't?" Paul questioned Will quietly as his arms dropped to his sides.

Though Will wasn't looking at him, he could feel Paul's eyes on him, anxious for an apology, an explanation, something.

"Okay." Paul swallowed tightly and continued after a moment, "I guess maybe you don't."

He grabbed his set of keys from the coffee table and made his way to the door.

"I'll be at my dad's," he called behind him as he left.

* * *

Will didn't leave the apartment for two days, save for a much needed playdate with Arianna, and after stubbornly ignoring calls and texts from Marlena, Lucas and even Adrienne, who was concerned about the lack of progress on his latest Spectator piece, he finally decided to venture outside. Pulling the covers from over his head, he felt the weight of Paul's absence wash over him.

" _Maybe I don't!"_

The words repeated in his mind as if on loop, the worst part being that they weren't even true. Paul was a combination of both his deepest desires and the dreams he'd never dared to hold for himself. He couldn't wait to marry him.

His entire life, Will had always had a peripheral sense of navigating through the world somewhat incomplete, as though there was something inside of himself that he couldn't reach. He'd thought that coming out would be the thing; that hiding reflected that emptiness, but that wasn't it, not really. So he'd chased it – through drinking and power plays and marriage and L.A. until he didn't quite know where to look anymore.

Then he'd found him. He found Paul.

But they weren't perfect.

Will's struggle with transparency and feelings of inadequacy, though lessened over the years, had reared its head more than once, and each time he was left in awe at the easy way Paul embraced him, mess and all. And Paul, for all his outward confidence and charm, wasn't without imperfection either. Old relationships had left their mark and, while he tried his best to gloss over past hurts, it was clear in his refusal to rock the boat, sometimes to his own detriment, and the way he occasionally clung to Will just a little too tightly at night, like he was subconsciously trying to reassure himself that he was still there.

That's when Will did his best to ease Paul's insecurities; to let him know that he was loved and they were good and Will wasn't leaving, not ever.

He hadn't done that the other night, though. He'd been agitated and cold, thoughtlessly flinging out words aimed to hurt.

With a deep sigh, he stood from the bed and made his way to the shower. They needed to talk today.

* * *

Will spent some time wandering the town square aimlessly before figuring that maybe a cup of coffee would do him some good.

When he spotted Paul standing outside of Common Grounds, it was like a thousand pounds lifted off his chest. The last 48 hours seemed like a lifetime and he missed his fiancé.

"Hi," he said, knowing well enough to approach with caution.

Paul eyed him silently as he crossed his arms against his torso. His eyes bore a slight redness and he'd sprouted a five o'clock shadow that Will immediately identified as a product of neglect. He looked sad.

"I am so sorry," Will pushed forward. "I don't even know why I reacted the way I did, I just… there's been so much time and money and focus going into the wedding that I was feeling overwhelmed and I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I know that. I love you. I love you so much. And I _do_ want this. I want this more than anything."

He held Paul's hand and pressed a firm kiss to his knuckles.

"Are you okay?"

Paul briefly eyed their surroundings, vaguely noting to himself that perhaps this wasn't a conversation suited for the middle of the town square, but at the same time he couldn't bring himself to actually care about that right now.

"I'm sorry if you're overwhelmed or if I've been putting pressure on you," he replied. Looking down at their joined hands, he visualized the moment he'd get to slide a ring onto Will's finger. His heart felt full and settled at the thought. "I know there are a million things going into this wedding, but we don't need any of it. I just want to be your husband."

There was no stopping the smile that curled at the edges of Will's mouth. _Husband._ He cupped Paul's face in his hands and brushed his thumbs across his cheeks as he kissed him, all tension releasing from his form.

"I just want to be _your_ husband," he whispered against Paul's lips.

Paul wrapped his arms around Will's torso, holding him close.

"And I love you too."


	2. Chapter 2

Friends and family took their seats, leaving the Horton Town Square cloaked in silence and a near palpable sense of wonder coursing through the air.

Marlena gave a quick nod to her grandson, fond smile adorning her features.

"We're joined here to celebrate the union of William Horton and Paul Narita," she began.

Will and Paul stood in place at the head of the altar, their hands meeting in a loose hold as they concentrated on Marlena's speech.

"We're not often granted the opportunity to bear witness to a love that is so special and that runs so deeply. Though they may not have had the easiest of roads to this point, theirs is a journey of love and commitment that has managed to not only weather every storm, but grow stronger in its wake.

I can't begin to tell you how happy I am for the two of you. I'm so glad you've found each other."

Arianna sat beaming at her father from the front row, dissolving into soft giggles when Will winked in her direction before leading into his own words.

"You inspire me every day, Paul. You are crazy and brave and still the most generous person that I have ever known. I didn't have the most stable of upbringings, I think we can probably all attest to that."

Though the guests chuckled along, Paul caught the undercurrent of emotion in Will's voice.

"But I found that safety in you. Being with you makes me feel grounded and supported, loved and understood. The way you believe in me is incredible, unwavering and I don't totally get it, but I am grateful for it. I'm so grateful for you."

Will took a soft breath and, when he met Paul's gaze again, the tears in his eyes were unmistakable.

"Will, you're more than important to me, you're everything. If I'm brave, it's because you make me brave. You're passionate, honourable and, honestly, sometimes a little ridiculous." Paul laughed, taking a moment to brush a stray tear from Will's cheek.

"At first I didn't know where this was going to go, you and me, but I was happy to follow your lead. You were so sure about us and you made me see that we could be great."

He gave Will's hands a short squeeze before continuing. "Will, I would follow you anywhere."

As Paul slipped the silver band onto Will's shaky hand, he leaned in closer towards him.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," Will responded with a watery smile. "I just love you."

They took no notice of the raucous applause or Brady and Eric's hooting and hollering in the background. Their only focus was on each other, on the fact that they'd made it here.

Will pulled Paul towards him and pressed a firm kiss to his lips.

"We did it," Paul whispered.

Will laughed throatily, head nodding in agreement. "We did."

Paul knelt on the bedroom floor, facial muscles tensing as he struggled to shut what was inarguably their largest piece of luggage – by far.

"Will, what the hell is in here?"

Will leisurely sipped at his coffee, unabashedly admiring the strong flex of Paul's triceps as he wrangled with the zipper.

"Only the essentials," he responded absentmindedly, legs swinging lazily off the side of the bed.

With a huff of annoyance, Paul changed course, yanking the bag open and sifting through its contents.

"Faulkner, Chabon, Orwell… OK, there are, like, eight books in here."

"I'm a writer!" Will hurriedly set his mug on the nightstand, rushing over to reclaim his collection from the ever-growing pile of Things-Will-Wasn't-Allowed-to-Pack.

Pausing his mission, Paul pulled Will to his side and peppered his cheek with kisses. "We're gone for one week."

"But what if I get bored?"

Paul froze and held his gaze, expression revealing nothing save for an unmistakably mischievous glint in his eye.

"I didn't say you're boring! Just that we're going to be on a resort for a week and those aren't, you know, exactly known for their intellectual stimuli, so I think that, uh… maybe, if there's some down time, it would be nice to— "

Will let out a surprised yelp when Paul's lips crashed against his own.

"Stop. Talking," Paul commanded, gently draping himself over Will as his lips made their way down his neck.

"Yeah, yes." Will gasped. "No talking." He reached for his husband with fervor, hands tugging at the waistband of Paul's sweatpants, coffee and books long forgotten.

Later the two lay comfortably in bed, Paul's head resting easily on Will's chest, Will's arms wrapped around him easily.

When Paul broke the silence, his voice was sweet and soft with the edges of sleep. "Will?" He shifted slightly to hold him close.

"Hmm?"

"You get three books."

When they stepped


End file.
